Revolving door driving means



37 w53 c. E. GossLJNG REvoLvING nooR DRIVING MEANS Filed Jan. f7, 1949 2 Shets-Sheet 1 1% f ln/venia@ pl' 179 M51 c. E. GossLlNG 54,4%

REVOLVING DOOR DRIVING MEANS Filed Jan. 7, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 17, 1951 REVOLVING DOOR DRIVING MEANS Clement Elphick Gossling, Winnipeg, Manitoba,

Canada, assignor to Hudsons Bay Company. London, England, a corporation of England Application January 7, 1949, Serial No. 69,775' In Canada April 1, 1948 s claims. (o1. 268-73) 1 This invention relates to revolving doors and more particularly to doors of the type in which manually operable driving means are provided whereby the user is relieved of the need of exerting the physical strength required to revolve the door.

A number of doors of this type have been proposed in which an electric motor is provided for driving the door, the motor being started and stopped by the user by means of manually operable switches provided on the door wings.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved revolving door of great simplicity and reliability and with this end in View it comprises a continuously rotating driving element and manually operable clutching means for establishing a driving connection between the door and the driving element when desired.

The invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring now t the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, one convenient embodiment of the invention:

Figure 1 is a vertical elevation, partly in section of a revolving door equipped according to the present invention,

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional elevation of the lower part of one of the door wings, on the line 2--2 of Figure 5,

Figure 3 is a section on line 3--3 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Figure 1,

Figure 5 is a section on line 5 5Y of Figure 2, Figure 6 is a section'on line 6--6 of Figure 2, and

Figure 7 is an enlarged section of a form of reductionV gearing through which the door is driven.

The invention may be applied to any form of revolving door, the principal elements of which `are indicated, more or less diagrammatically, in Figure 1 in `which I indicates the usual vertical shaft, 2 indicates one of the lateral enclosure panels, 3 the ceiling panel, 4 indicates two of the radial doorl wings and 5 the floor level.

According to the illustrated form of the present invention the floor beneath the door is formed With a recess or pit 6 to accommodate a prime mover, preferably in the form of an electric motor 'I, the shaft of which is connected, through an intermediate shaft 8 and couplings 9, with a high speed shaft I0 of a reduction gearing indicated generally at II in Figure 1 and also accommodated in the recess 6.

A convenient form of gearing is shown on a larger scale in Figure 7. This gearing comprises a casing I2 having a flange I3 the top surface of which is disposed ush Awith the floor level 5. The inner end of the shaft I8 carries a small gear I4 meshing with a larger gear I5 carried by a shaft I6 which also carries on its upper end a small gear I "I in mesh with a large ring gear I8 secured to a circular plate I9 formed with a. central boss or sleeve y29. At the centre of the casing I2 there is provided a bearing sleeve 2| into which fits the lower end of the central door shaft or spindle I. The lower end of the shaft I may be formed with a vertical slot as at 22, the slot being detachably engaged by a key or projection 23 carried by the sleeve 2| to support the shaft I.

Suitable anti-friction bearings 24 are preferably provided between the boss 28 and the central sleeve 2|, and anti-friction means may be provided as at 2,5 and 26k for the shafts I 0 and I6 respectively. Y

The upper surface of the plate I9 is disposed flush with the floor level 5 and a ring-shaped plate 21 is secured in a recess in the plate I9 to prevent entry of foreign matter into the central bearings 24. A larger ring-shaped plate 28 is secured in a recess in the flange I3 of the casing I2, this plate being wide enoughY to extend into an annular recess 29 in the upper surface of the plate I9. Suitable sealing means are preferably provided for preventing entry of dirt through the space between the periphery of the plate I9 and the gear casing I2 and for preventing the exit of lubricating oil from the casing. 'These sealing means may take the form of a. ring of felt or similar material 30 arranged in an annular recess 3| in the plate I9, the felt ring being pressed constantly into contact with the under surface of the plate 28 by means of compression spring 32 bearing on a metal ring 33 which in turn-bears against the bottom of the felt ring.

The operating mechanism carried by eachwing 4 of the door will now be described. This mechanism comprises a hand bar 34 which, in the form shown, extends .across almost the entire width of the door wing 4, thoughl a shorter bar may be used if desired. The bar 341s keyed or other- Wise secured to a horizontal rod or shaft 35 which is rotatably mounted in bearings 36 carried by brackets 3l fastened to the appropriate side of the door wing 4. The hand bar may be formed with enlargements 38 in the upper parts of which 'the bearings 36 are accommodated. These bearings therefore prevent longitudinal movement of the bar 34.

Rigidily secured to the outer end of the rod 35 is a crank-like member 39 the free end of which preferably has a curved surface, as at 46, concentric with the axis of the rod 35. The crank 39 projects into a recess 4l in the door wing. Secured to the top of the crank 39 is one end of a flexible, inextensible tension member such as a cable 42 which passes down through a passage or bore 43 in the door wing. A suitably shaped cover member 44 is preferably provided over the crank 39 and secured to 'the door wing as by means of studs or bolts 45. A similar member 44 may be provided adjacent the other end of the hand bar B if desired. v. Y

The passage 43 extends to a pointn-ear the bottom of the door wing and there communicates with a horizontal passageway 45 which in turn communicates with a 'recess 4l arranged over the plate IQ of the driving mechanism. A pulley 48 is provided adjacent the junction of the passages 43 and 46. The cable 42 passes around the pulley 48 and extends along the passage it to a point near the recess ll where it is attached to a connector member 49. A spring i? is compressed between the member 49 anda stop plate 5I which is formed with a slot 52 to accommodate the cable 42 and secured to the door wing by screws 53. The door wing is suitably recessed to receive the plate 5! and provided with the customary metal kick plates 54.

It will be seen that the driving plate l is of sufficiently small diameter' that users not need to step on it in passing through the door.

A movable clutch element 55 is provided with a facing or friction material uch as brake lining 55 and a ver 'cal web el projecting upwardly into the recess 4l in the door wing, the upper edge of this web being formed with inclined surfaces 58. The clutch element 53 ispreferably provided with means to urge it upwardly, a leaf spring o9 being shown forrthis purpose, this spring being secured at one end to the clutch element and at the other to the bottom of the door wing at Sil.

A stationary plate Si similar in shape to the web .5i 1out with reversely disposed inclined surfaces 5 is provided at the top of the recess 4l' in the same vertical plane as the web rThe web and plate 6l lie between metal plates iormed with openings t3. Pairs of rollers ed are rotatably mounted on shafts it journalled in parallel links which are attached to the conm nestor element 4s at 6l. The rollers 54 are preferably flanged to prevent excessive lateral movement of the rollers with respect to the web 5l' and plate ti, as is clearly shown` in Figure 5'.

The space over the motor 'l between the gear casing E8 and the floor 5 is covered by a plate G8.

A suitable stop, such as that shown at Q9 in Figure 3, may be provided to limit the swinging movement or" the bar 34 away fromY the door wing.

The operation of the invention is as follows: The parts are shown in their normal positions in the drawings and in this position the'motor l rotates the driving plate is continuously through the gearing li, but the door wings remain stationary since the spring 5!) presses the rollers towards the widest part of the space between the inclined surface 58, so that the leaf spring 5e is free to lift the clutch element 55-56 out of engagement with the driving plate i9.

The spring 5D also exerts a constant downward pull on the crank element 39 (see Figure 3) and thus holds the lower part of the hand bar 34 away from the door wing 4, in which position the stop 69 engages the cover member 44.

When a person wishes to enter or leave the building he or she enters the door enclosure in the usual way and presses lightly on the lower part of the hand bar 34 (See arrow 10, Figure 3) causing the hand bar to swing towards the door wing. This movement causes the crank 39 to swing upwardly and exert a pull on the cable 42. This pull is transmitted to the rollers 64, causing them to ride along the inclined surfaces 58 against the action of spring 59. The clutch element 55s-56 is thus thrust downwardly into fric- Vtional engagement with the constantly rotating driving plate I9. The door is therefore caused to revolve so long as the user presses on the hand bar 34 and thus maintains the clutching element in driving engagement with the plate I9. As soon as the door has revolved to the required extent the user releases the hand bar 34, the crank Sil descends, the spring bil expands, the rollers 64 move down the inclines 58 and spring 53 raises the clutch element 5, thus de-clutching the door from the driving plate le, so that 'the door remains stationary until another person wishes to enter or leave the building.

If the slope of the inclines 58 are suitably arranged the spring 50 need be of no very great strength and a considerably mechanical advantage can be obtained for actuating the clutch element, so that the operation of the hand bar 35i calls for only a minimum of exertion on the p-art of the person using the door. The bar can be easily actuated by. the arm or elbow when the door is used by a person having both hands occupied in carrying parcels.

The foregoing description and accompanying drawings are given by way of example only and modifications may be resorted to in many ways within the scope of the appended claims.`

What I claim is:V Y

l. In combination with a revolving door, a driving means consisting of a prime mover, gearing, a plate driven by said prime mover through said gearing, and manually operable clutching means, consisting of a hand bar, a cranklike member and a flexible member connected to a clutch engaging means for establishing a driving connection between said door and said plate when desired, said plate being rotated continuously and wherein the clutch engaging means consists of a movable clutch element xedly connected to a vertical web.

2. In combination with a revolving door, a driving means consisting of a prime mover, gearing, a plate driven by said prime mover through said gearing, and manually operable clutching means, consisting of a hand bar, a cranklike member and a flexible member connected to a clutch engaging means for establishing a driving connec-` tion between said door and said plate when desired, said plate being rotated continuously and wherein the clutch engaging means consists of a movable clutch element nxedly connected to a vertical web, said clutch element being engaged by rollers siding on an inclined plane.

3. In combination with a revolving door, a driv-` ing means consisting of a prime mover, gearing, a plate driven by said prime mover through said gearing, and manually operable clutching means, consisting of a hand bar, a cranklile member and a flexible member connected to a clutch en'- 6 REFERENCES CITED lThe following references are of record in the le of Ytliis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Nurnloei` Name Date Dodge Jan. 9, 1900 Flint Apr. 6, 1915 Haviland Sept. 1G, 1918 Hubbell Sept. 18, 1928 

